


Swimming in Molasses

by catty_the_spy



Series: #verse [4]
Category: Stargate: Universe
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2012-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-20 13:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/586049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catty_the_spy/pseuds/catty_the_spy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Plants that might be weeds, food that might be salad, and noises that might be words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Swimming in Molasses

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place not so long after Rewind.

“What is this stuff?” Young asks, frowning at the small sprout he’s just uprooted.

“Something that isn’t actually cotton,” Inman says. “We’re thinking about moving it; it’s getting into everything.”

Weeding in the hydroponics lab isn’t exactly his idea of fun, but it’s something to do that isn’t paperwork. TJ hasn’t cleared him for anything else.

A few stations down, one of the civilian scientists tilts her head to the side. “Does it still count as hydroponics if we’re using soil?”

“What?”

She pokes at the plant bed she’s working in. “We have actual soil now. So maybe we shouldn’t call this hydroponics anymore.” She squeals when a spray of water comes down on her head.

Inman sighs. “Again? The pipes keep leaking,” she explains to Young as she fetches a bucket. “Everyone was so excited that the system was functional, but I don’t think it’s gonna work out. If it isn’t the pipes, it’s the tanks; if it isn’t the tanks….”

“Have you talked to Rush about it?”

“Haven’t seen him. I was hoping you could help with that?”

Young shrugs and pulls up another weed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

The water stops on its own. Inman doesn’t even bother trying to find the source of the leak. “It never leaks from the same spot twice. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the ship was screwing with us.”

 

Eventually all the sprouts have been either re-planted in the right beds, or set aside to be carried up to the mess. Young’s in the middle of watering the not-exactly-cotton sprouts when Inman calls a break.

“You hungry, sir?” Inman asks, wiping her hands on her pants. “I can go get something?”

Young shakes his head.

Privately, he thinks a fifteen minute break is a bit long, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he sits next to the door of the destroyed kitchen and takes a moment to rest his eyes.

He’s startled by a metal screech.

Rush shoves a wrench into Brody’s chest. “Did any of you bother examining it before you turned it on?”

Young shoves himself upright, folding Inman’s jacket as he does so. He rubs his eyes.

“We didn’t see anything about-”

“It’s trying to water the plants?” Park says, frowning. “Seriously?”

“But how does-?”

“Oh good job guys, really.”

Inman leaves the science team clustered around Rush and stoops in front of Young. “Good afternoon, Colonel. How are you feeling?”

He hands her the jacket.

Her face reddens a bit. “You looked like you needed the rest.”

“What’s going on with the…?”

“Oh. Dr. Rush said there are sensors in the plant beds that are supposed to be able to tell when the plants need to be watered, whether they’re getting too much light, that sort of thing – only some of them are damaged and a few of the spouts are pointing the wrong way. We can fix the spouts, but the sensors are probably a bust.”

Young nods and stands, stretching. “I think my four hours are up.”

He eats something that tries to be a salad in the mess and ends up on the observation deck, watching the stars stream by in a surreal blur. The ship feels like it’s roaring. He almost doesn’t hear James come in.

She pauses a moment, just inside the door. Then she makes her way over to sit beside him. He doesn’t bother straightening.

She watches the stars with him. It’s as quiet as it’s going to get. Then she speaks. “TJ’s looking for you, sir.”

The coolness of the wall feels so good against his face. He makes a sound to show he’s heard. James says something else, something he can’t quite catch, and he doesn’t bother trying to figure it out.

She doesn’t say anything else for a long while. Unbelievably, he’s tired again.

“Sir?”

He turns his head just enough to look at her.

“We should probably go before TJ calls in the cavalry.”

He smiles a bit. “Aren’t you the cavalry?”

She snorts. “Nope.”

 

“Your temp’s trying to rise again,” TJ says, frowning at him. She hands him another cup of tea. He’s going to be swimming in it soon. “I might keep you overnight.”

Young winces. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

TJ gives him a searching look, but he isn’t hiding anything – not this time. After a moment she shakes her head. “I want you here tonight, to be on the safe side. If everything checks out, I’ll wake you for your shift in the morning. What did you do today?”

“Nothing much. Weeding.”

“Wade says you were down there for eight hours.”

“I wasn’t working the entire time.”

“Four hour shifts,” she reminds him. “This is non-negotiable.”

“I know.” He sighs. “I know.”

She watches him carefully for a moment, and Young watches back. She has her arms crossed.

She nudges his cup with an elbow. “Drink your tea.”

 

He spends a long time watching the ceiling in the infirmary, waiting for sleep to catch him. The room itself isn’t cold, but his bed is. He can’t get comfortable.

With every exhale, he can feel his pulse in his stomach.

The infirmary is quiet. There isn’t much to hear – his breathing, the hum of the FTL drives, the occasional click of the keys on TJ’s laptop. The silence makes those small noises louder; just loud enough to keep him awake.

He wonders what’s changed about him that he hasn’t noticed. Will TJ notice it first, with the close eye she has on him? Will Rush? Does Rush already know?

Young sighs and curls into the empty space beside him. The sheets are cold and still under his hands.


End file.
